Bachmann: AmeriCorps could morph into "re-education camps"

As AmeriCorps is currently experiencing a flood of Americans hoping to join the nationwide program based on community service, no doubt Rep. Michele Bachmann has something to say about it.

President Obama is set to sign The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which expands funding for the community service program. Bachmann fears this program is morphing into "re-education camps for young people, where young people have to go and get trained in a philosophy that the government puts forward and then they have to go to work in some of these politically correct forums."

Americans who want to give back to their community? Stop them before they do anything good for their country!

The Republican fear, which is quickly spreading through right-wing pundits, is from some original language that would make AmeriCorps service a requirement for young people. That language has been stripped from the bill.

Bachmann was on KTLK April 4 this weekend talking about the bill, striking fear into the hearts of all Republicans who envision a socialist country of Democratic robots:

It's under the guise of -- quote -- volunteerism. But it's not volunteers at all. It's paying people to do work on behalf of government. ...

I believe that there is a very strong chance that we will see that young people will be put into mandatory service. And the real concerns is that there are provisions for what I would call re-education camps for young people, where young people have to go and get trained in a philosophy that the government puts forward and then they have to go to work in some of these politically correct forums.

The bill expands AmeriCorps from 75,000 to 250,000 service members in the next eight years. Those who complete their service would receive a larger education reward for full-time work. The reward would increase from $4,725 to $5,350, effective Oct. 1. AmeriCorps will also offer a summer program for students in middle and high school where they can earn $500 each summer towards their college education.

AmeriCorps received 9,731 job applications in February, which is triple the number received in February 2008, says the San Francisco Chronicle. Although it's a volunteer program, full time workers receive a minimum living allowance of $11,400.

Bachmann is also rewording her "armed and dangerous" statement to sound more.... metaphorical.

"I want [my constituents] to be armed with knowledge, so they can be dangerous to the policies of the left."